Room With Books

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Evy Journey, writer, wannabe artist, and flâneuse (feminine of flâneur), wishes she lives in Paris where people have perfected the art of aimless roaming. Armed with a Ph.D., she used to research and help develop mental health programs.

She’s a writer because beautiful prose seduces her and existential angst continues to plague her despite such preoccupations having gone out of fashion. She takes occasional refuge by invoking the spirit of Jane Austen to spin tales of love, loss, and finding one’s way—stories into which she weaves mystery or intrigue.

Why do I love Paris? It has or does at least ten of my favorite things. I have “lived” as a transient in Paris a few times. That means I stay 2 to 6 months. It is:

A vibrant city where la joie de vivre is often evident in so many ways and nearly every day;

A shot in the arm, and an escape into a different kind of reality;

A communion with history we can still relate with, a history boasting some of the greatest thinkers and great architecture spared from bombs that levelled other European cities;

A veritable tableau where a gathering of people in a park reminds you of a Manet or Monet painting;

An ode to light and colors celebrated in artistic revolutions that gave birth to gothic churches and modern art, starting with Impressionism;

A lover of art and culture with world-class exhibits in its world-class museums as well as days or nights dedicated to celebrating the arts;

Rich with world-class parks with beds and large vases of flowers massed in harmonious colors. They invite you to linger on benches and plentiful green metal chairs under sprawling shady trees;

Where you needn’t go beyond your block (or two) to find a boulangerie where you can get a warm crusty baguette in late afternoon, great macarons or tasty tarts—fresh, every day. And cheap, compared to pastries you buy in fancy bakeries in the US;

In a country where cultivating food and wine and preparing them for consumption is considered part of the patrimoine—the French national heritage, and;

Where mayonnaise and many other dishes and sauces that help make eating a pleasure were “invented”.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page

THE SIRENS OF SASS ANTHOLOGY is now LIVE!

Temptation can be a dangerous thing.

See what happens when you are lured into the lairs of spirited, stunning, and spectacular SaSSy Sirens who will entice and tantalize you. Some will give you the satisfaction you will crave while others may have you begging for more! Passion is not for the faint of heart.

Do you have the courage proceed?

Plan to delight your senses in this breathtaking selection of SCORCHING brand new short stories highlighting some of today’s Bestselling Authors from a featured group of Attending Authors of #SaSS18 Norfolk Sexy and Sassy Signing.

#SaSS18 Charity ~ All proceeds from The Sirens of SaSS Anthology will go to VETSports. In 2016, we raised $1,060 for them and hope through your efforts on this book along with the signing raffles we far surpass that figure!

In Your Eyes, the newest standalone in the Man of the Month Series by #1 New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner, is LIVE!

Possessive hands. Wild obsession.

He’ll break any rule to claim her.

Billionaire bad boy Parker Manning buried his dark past beneath fast cars and faster women. With his chiseled good looks and Texas oil legacy, Parker’s used to laying claim to whatever—or whoever—he desires, and he’s never met a woman he couldn’t seduce into his bed.

Not, that is, until Megan Clark. Years ago, she flatly refused him. Now, she’s back—and she needs a favor. No way is Parker letting her get away again, and he conditions his agreement on one sensuous night with Megan in his bed and at his mercy.

He never expects to want more. To crave this woman who fascinates and challenges him. But he does, and now he’s determined to possess her.

But Megan’s a woman with secrets of her own, and if Parker wants to claim her, he’s going to have to conquer his past and show Megan his true heart.

Meet Mr. June. Summer’s heat has nothing on him.

**In Your Eyes is part of a binge read series by New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and #1 International bestselling author of the million copy Stark series, J. Kenner.

Each book in the series is a STANDALONE novel with NO cliffhanger and a guaranteed HEA!

Who’s Your Man of the Month?

When a group of fiercely determined friends realize their beloved hang-out is in danger of closing, they take matters into their own hands to bring back customers lost to a competing bar. Fighting fire with a heat of their own, they double down with the broad shoulders, six-pack abs, and bare chests of dozens of hot, local guys who they cajole, prod, and coerce into auditioning for a Man of the Month calendar.

But it’s not just the fate of the bar that’s at stake. Because as things heat up, each of the men meets his match in this sexy, flirty, and compelling binge-read romance series of twelve novels releasing every other week from New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner.

About J. Kenner

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

Into the Moonless Night

By A.E. Decker

Moonfall & Mayhem:, Book 3

Fantasy Young Adult/Adult

Catch Starthorne has spent a lifetime running from the prophecy that names him as the one who will save the shifter race, but now that he has returned to his home in Clawcrags, he may have to face his destiny. Determined to slip through fate’s fingers, Catch sows confusion, making friends from foes, mixing up the occasional sleeping death potion, and matching wits with an overbearing lion-shifter, who appears to have plans of his own.

While Catch schemes, Ascot works to retrieve him with the help of a witch and a pair of madcap shifter rebels. But every attempt to reach him earns her fresh enemies and embroils her ever deeper in the conspiracies surrounding the prophecy. After five hundred years of repressed tension and social strife, the Clawcrags are ready to explode—and it sometimes seems someone’s working hard to see that they do!

“Falling of the Moon is a fantasy fairytale like nothing I have read before. Mystery and secrets take you to a fantastic mystical world sure to have a book two. It is Pirates of the Caribbean meets Cinderella. Looking forward to Ascot’s next adventure. Strong and determined with her loyal friends she will certainly make the Moonfall Mayhem a great series of books. I am ecstatic that this is just the start to what will be a truly great trilogy.” — Girl + Book

“I’d say it’s like Shrek meets The Wizard of Oz if Dorothy were Wednesday Addams and Toto a talking cat with bat wings. Fun and funny with many laugh-out- loud moments. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!” — Susan Abel Sullivan, author of the Cleo Tidwell Paranormal Mystery series

“A unique and clever fantasy, The Falling of the Moon is a thoroughly entertaining read from first page to last. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduring favorite.” —Midwest Book Review

“If you’re looking for a great Autumn and Halloween read then look no further, this series has everything you need for a cozy fall evening spent reading. This one is 5/5 stars for me, it’s absolutely perfect and a must read!” —Hollie Ohs Book Reviews

A.E. Decker hails from Pennsylvania. A former doll-maker and ESL tutor, she earned a master’s degree in history, where she developed a love of turning old stories upside-down to see what fell out of them. This led in turn to the writing of her YA novel, The Falling of the Moon. A graduate of Odyssey 2011, her short fiction has appeared in such venues as Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Fireside Magazine, and elsewhere. Like all writers, she is owned by three cats. Come visit her, her cats, and her fur Daleks at www.wordsmeetworld.com or on Twitter @moonfallmayhem.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’ve lived most of my adult life in Pennsylvania, in the city of Bethlehem, which was first settled by Moravians in the first half of the eighteenth century. We get a lot of tourists here around Christmas. There’s also a lot of history; George Washington and Lafayette both stayed here during the Revolutionary war, as well as several other of the Founding Fathers. I suppose it’s not surprising that I decided to earn an MA in colonial American history, although I specialized in the politics of Delaware—or, the “three lower counties” as it was then known.

Of course, shortly after earning my MA, I decided to write fantasy instead. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I attempted to write my first book at the age of six or so but didn’t have the attention span. I’d somehow gotten the notion that writing was something you did after you’d gotten a “real job.” I suppose it stems from the cliché that everyone has a book in them. That may be true, but getting that book out involves a great deal of work! I was lucky enough to get into first the Viable Paradise Workshop in 2008, then the Odyssey Writers’ Workshop in 2011. Attending these writing seminars gave me the tools and confidence to pursue a career in writing seriously. A year after Odyssey, I started selling short stories. About a year after that, World Weaver Press accepted my first novel, The Falling of the Moon.

Tell us a little about your latest book

Into the Moonless Night is the third book of the YA fantasy Moonfall Mayhem series. On the surface, they appear to be mostly quirky humor, but there are some serious questions about social issues brewing underneath. All of the books in the series play off tropes common to other fantasy literature. The Falling of the Moon mostly played off fairy tale themes, while book two, The Meddlers of Moonshine, tackled Gothic literature. Into the Moonless Night is a twist on working Tolkien themes.

The protagonist is Catch Starthorne, a roguish Smilodon-shifter who is dragged back to his homeland, the Clawcrags, to confront a prophecy that has shadowed him his entire life. While he was living in exile, the situation in the Clawcrags has grown tense. Shifter-society is highly stratified. The animal you transform into determines exactly what position you’re allowed to hold, what kind of work you can take up. Lion-shifters are the leaders, dog-shifters are guards, and some shifters are so unusual that there’s no place for them—they’re cast out. By the time Catch returns, a revolution over this hierarchy is brewing and he must decide whether to help the rebels or try to flee the prophecy altogether.

Did you learn any interesting facts while creating your story?

Because this book involves people who transform into animals, I did a lot of research into animal behaviour. The protagonist, Catch, transforms into a Smilodon, so I read a couple of books that tried to restructure Smilodons from the fossils we have and figure out how they might have hunted. I learned that their sabre fangs are actually fairly delicate, and their bite weak compared to a lion’s. Their neck muscles, however, appear to have been both powerful and flexible, so most likely they would sink their sabre teeth near a prey animal’s major artery, then give a powerful, backward jerk with those neck muscles, severing it. In other words, their prey likely bled to death. Lions, in contrast use a choke hold. Sorry if this got a little graphic—I’m a bit of a natural history geek!

Another fascinating animal fact I learned is that stoats—short-tailed weasels—can actually hypnotize rabbits into not bolting by doing a crazy kind of “war dance.” The rabbits get so involved in watching the stoat jump about they don’t notice it getting closer until it’s too late. Once I learned that, I had to include it in my book—you’ll have to read Into the Moonless Night to find out how.

There’s also quite a few classic writers I go back to, such as Austen, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and the Bronte sisters. I try to read cross-genre, although I admit mysteries and thrillers are really my thing. I also read quite a bit of non-fiction, especially books on animal behaviour and evolution. Recently, I’ve been reading every book on cephalopods I can get my hands on.

Tell us your writing process

I stick to a schedule of writing every single morning from about eight or nine o’ clock to twelve-thirty or one o’ clock. So, I get three to four solid hours of writing in every day. I believe keeping a routine helps establish good writing habits; a day doesn’t seem entirely complete unless I’ve written something.

As for “how I write,” I’m a bit of a terrible re-writer. I can put down a lot of words in a single session—I’ve written as many as two thousand words in an hour—but the next time I sit down to write, I’ll often find myself editing and re-writing what I have rather than forging ahead. This is my bad habit, which I’m trying to break. It’s best to finish the story and revise afterwards.

What advice do you have for new and aspiring authors?

Work hard to develop a writing routine. If you don’t get yourself accustomed to writing daily, it becomes much easier to make excuses not to write, and soon you’ll find yourself writing very little or not at all. Don’t get discouraged. Submit your work, don’t take rejections to heart, and try again. Find a balance between accepting advice from critics and having confidence in your own work. Keep a sense of humor.

What are you working on now?

I just submitted the first draft of book four, A Trick of the Moonlight, to my editor, Laura Harvey. It’ll come back to me for revisions in a couple months. There’s one more book in the Moonfall Mayhem series after that. Meanwhile, I’m working on the third book in my as-yet-unpublished urban fantasy series about a tomato-obsessed hitman of the supernatural.

I’ve also started/outlined another stand-alone YA novel, as well as a more adult steampunk book, and a Weird Western world that my short story “Bloodsilver,” published in the Lawless Lands anthology by Falstaff Books is a part of. In addition to that, I am still working with the Bethlehem Writers Group. We put out an anthology every couple years, two of which I edited. I’m not editing Untethered, the next one on our schedule, but I will have a couple stories in it.

How do you spend your spare time?

I enjoy cooking, particularly baking. I’m told my gingerbread and peanut butter bars just might be worth beating up small children for. I enjoy reading, of course, and like to sew and knit. But if I really want to kick back, playing video games is my favorite. The ones I like best are Bloodborne, the Dragon Age series, the Dark Souls series, and Don’t Starve.

“What’s the Moonless Night?” asked Dmitri. Beside him, Moony had worked up to a rude place in his washing, tail slapping the ground hard enough to raise dust.

“Supposedly, it’s when Magden Le Fou’s prophecy will be fulfilled,” Jolt replied. “It’s a lunar eclipse occurring three nights after the vernal equinox.”

The prophecy, thought Ascot. The frabjacketing prophecy. Something about a golden star and—well, Catch hadn’t elected to tell her much else, save that the shifters of the Clawcrawgs thought he was the golden star. Which was ridiculous. Had any of them ever looked at scruffy, roguish Catch? Heard him lie with a straight face, or seen him guzzle more coffee than anyone’s kidneys could stand?

Frabjacket, how she missed him.

Dipping his head, Dmitri scratched the ground. Abruptly, his nostrils flared. “That’s only nine days from now.”

Ascot’s throat turned into a stretch of dust. “Nine days?” It came out as a dry squeak. She worked some saliva into her mouth and swallowed. “What will become of Catch if nothing happens on the Moonless Night?”

She didn’t want to hear it: the confirmation of her worst fears. Had to hear it, just so she’d know. Jolt lifted a brow, seeming surprised that she’d even ask. “If he’s not the golden star, then he’s just another slipskin. There’s only one penalty for slipping your skin in the Clawcrags.” Jolt gave his earlobe a final tug. “Execution.”

Ascot fell away inside herself. The world, shadowed and dark, floated at a distance, as if she stared at it through the cavern of her own skull. Every sound droned and echoed. Only the bloc, bloc of yet another cicada came to her, crisp as the ticking of some mocking clock.

She almost didn’t hear Jolt speak again. “Want us to help rescue him?”

From Buzzfeed to Babble to Scary Mommy and even network television—the most anticipated social media viral sensation is LIVE!

The story of romance writer Amy Daws’ relationship with a little tire shop in South Dakota is a refreshingly fun tale that ends in an auto shop romantic comedy that you have to read!

Daws’ fans have loved watching this story trend, but more importantly, they are loving this 5-star read about a couple who meet outside of a tire shop…

When romance novelist, Kate Smith, finds her long lost writing mojo in the customer waiting area of a tire store, the complimentary coffee isn’t the only things that’s hot. But sexy mechanic, Miles Hudson, is just up for a friendly test-drive of her new book idea.At least, that was the agreement…

It all began when Daws went to Tires Tires Tires to get a new set of wheels on her car. She was suffering from writer’s block, but apparently the complimentary coffee and cookies cured her. So she decided to bring in cars of friends and family so she could keep writing in the magical waiting room.

Her social media musings had her fans in stitches and it wasn’t long before inspiration struck again. This time…Daws was to write a sexy romantic comedy about a romance novelist who sneaks into a tire shop and gets caught by a hot mechanic. You can imagine where the love story goes from here.

Eventually, the little tire shop opened their arms to Daws, even putting her release date on their marquee sign outside.

It wasn’t long before Buzzfeed got wind of it. Then Scary Mommy. Then InspireMore and several other blogs with followers well into the millions. WGN News in Chicago, Fox 10 in Phoenix and Canada Public Radio are all talking about the adorable feel good story of how inspiration can strike in the strangest of places.

She slaps her hand on her knee and bellows gallantly, “But you know what, Miles, you’re right! I should totally find a random hookup tonight.”

“Whoa, I never said anything about random.”

“Well, you’re doing it, so why can’t I?”

I narrow my eyes. “You don’t seem like the random type.”

“Maybe I should be.” Her eyes narrow when she leans in and whispers against my lips. “Can I tell you a secret, Miles?”

“You can tell me anything, Mercedes.”

She giggles and crooks her finger for me to lean in even closer. I’m so close I can smell the faint scent of her cherry lip gloss, and it’s not helping the half boner having a party in my pants.

Her lips graze my ear when she whispers, “My writing makes me horny.”

I nearly choke on my beer. “I’m sorry, what?”

“My writing makes me horny.” She pulls back and nods her confirmation. “I’m serious. I have a sex toy that works really well and really fast, but I miss the heat of a man, ya know?”

My eyes scrunch together, and I rub my fingers in the sockets to make sure I’m awake and hearing this all correctly. “I mean…I don’t really ever miss the heat of man, so I don’t think I know exactly what you’re saying.”

“Fine, the heat of a woman.” She rolls her eyes dramatically “You know what I’m talking about. The heat.”

I frown and shake my head. “You’re going to have to elaborate because I think of a lot of things when I think of women, but their body temperature isn’t one of them.”

“You asked for it.” She laughs and leans in so she’s speaking low and soft and directly into my ear. “The heat of a woman is so much more than temperature. It’s the soft, sensual curves of the female form. The way your fingers dig into the meat of her thighs when she’s wrapped around you. Her smooth, sunken tummy when she’s on her back, the delicate bumps of her ribcage when she’s throwing her head back in pleasure. Tight little nipples in pillows of creamy softness. The fact that you could fold yourself around her and envelop her body almost entirely and still want more. You’re saying you don’t miss that kind of heat?”

I blink slowly, recovering from what just happened. Her voice was a sensual, verbal caress straight on my cock. Then there was the warm heat of her breath on my ear. The deep husk of her tone. The way her warm palm rests softly on my thigh.

*** hell.

Amy Daws is an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of the Harris Brothers Series and is most known for her punny, footy-playing, British playboys. The Harris Brothers and her London Lovers Series fuel her passion for all things London. When Amy’s not writing, she’s watching Gilmore Girls or singing karaoke in the living room with her daughter while Daddy awkward-smiles from a distance.

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via PayPal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Support Your Local Sheriff

by Melinda Curtis

Will he pass the daddy test?

With his job in jeopardy, it couldn’t be a worse time for Sheriff Nate Landry’s recent past to come back to haunt him. But it would take an army to stop SWAT team leader Julie Smith. The fellow cop—and sister of his ex-fiancée—wants one thing from the beleaguered lawman: custody of the toddler son that Nate didn’t know he had.

He may not be natural daddy material, but he quickly takes a shine to little Duke. And then there are the feelings Nate’s been hiding for years. Only now Julie’s running for sheriff of Harmony Valley—against him. Time to retreat? Not if he wants a future with the woman he loves.

“Hello, Nate.” Julie Smith put nearly three years of disdain and disappointment in those two words.

“Julie.” Nate shot to his feet, steady as always, guarded as always. If Nate was the sheriff, he was off-duty. He wore a brown-checkered shirt and blue jeans, not a service uniform.

Duke was balanced on her thighs, his small hard-soled sneakers digging in for purchase as he reached for Nate once more.

Couldn’t Duke loathe Nate as much as Julie did?

Couldn’t Nate look as if the past few years had been one big heartbreak?

No on both counts.

Duke’s fingers flexed as he reached for Nate.

And Nate? It was annoying how good he looked. His black hair might have been in need of a trim and his chin shadowed with stubble, but his teeth hadn’t fallen out, his broad shoulders weren’t bullet-ridden, and worst of all, he didn’t look sleep-deprived.

The mayor and town council were still on the pulpit surrounded by animated residents with loud voices. Chaos had arrived in Harmony Valley, just not the way Julie had envisioned it.

The man next to Nate came to his feet. He wore a wedding ring, held a swaddled newborn, had spit-up on the shoulder of his yellow polo, and New Dad bags under his eyes.

Julie gave him a sympathetic smile. Duke reviled naps and could be a restless sleeper at night. Not as restless as Julie lately, but still…

The man with the baby cleared his throat, shaking Nate out of tall, dark and stunned mode.

“Flynn,” Nate said. “This is Julie, my…”

And there it was. That awkwardness Julie had been waiting years for.

She pounced. “I’m the sister of Nate’s ex-fiancée.”

Flynn slid a questioning look Nate’s way.

Her moment had arrived. Julie stood, scooping Duke to her hip with her left arm. “Didn’t Nate tell you he was engaged? He left my sister at the altar.” That wasn’t all he’d left, but Julie didn’t want to waste all her ammunition on the first volley.

Flynn didn’t look as shocked as she’d hoped. She blamed Nate. He inspired loyalty wherever he went. Even after being dumped, April had forbidden Julie to confront him. But that ban had been lifted. It was open season on the sheriff.

Duke toppled forward, letting his full weight drop between Julie and Nate, unexpectedly shifting Julie’s center of gravity. She slurped in air like it came through a clogged milkshake straw. The stitches beneath her right collarbone pulled sharply, tugging at nerves that quivered up and down her neck and shoulder.

Mom was right. The doctor was right. It was too soon.

And too late to back out now.

“Ms. Curtis has created complex characters in Vince and Harley as well as creating fantastic secondary characters in the elderly residents of Harmony Valley. In each installment of this series, this reader enjoys “checking in” with them.” MarcieR, Amazon review

Author Melinda Curtis

Melinda Curtis is an award-winning, USA Today Bestseller of over 40 romances. She writes sweet romance for Harlequin Heartwarming, sweet romantic comedies and sexy sports contemporary romances. When not working on DIY projects around their home, Melinda and her college sweetheart enjoy watching Duke mens basketball and visiting their three kids and one grandchild. Sign up for her mailing list to receive two free reads.

Giveaway Details

Ends 5/1/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via PayPal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.